ON THE COVER:
Aerial view of Cathedral
of Christ the Light, Oakland, Calif.
Photo © John Blaustein. |
From
Inside
ML: Music, ritual, and environment all require imagination to visualize
how these elements are interwoven to form liturgy that is seamless. That
imagination doesn’t happen by accident. In every discipline, it takes study,
experience, time, and a good bit of humility to achieve the level of competency
that fosters an imagination informed by sound theological reason rather
than personal taste or opinion. Although we may be knowledgeable about
the various fields of liturgy, rarely are we experts in more than one area.
I am a musician and I have worked with music ministry for most of my life.
I have a vision of how music and liturgy are (or should be) one. I teach,
write, and preach passionately about that unity. But when it comes time
to prepare liturgy, I call the best pastoral musician I know. While my
skill at selecting and crafting just the right music might be adequate
on occasion, God’s people deserve better than adequate at every liturgy.
My best talent, my strongest gifts, simply lie elsewhere. The same holds
true for environment. Building, renovating, and even reorganizing space
is the job of an expert. We have liturgical design consultants for a reason,
so before you start rolling your baptismal font around the church to see
where you like it best, pick up the phone and call a consultant. She’ll
put your font in the right place — and permanently remove the wheels. (More) |
